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NBCUniversal announced a leadership structure at its newly acquired DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. on Tuesday that keeps the “Shrek” studio separate from the other animation company under its roof, Illumination Entertainment.

When NBCUniversal’s
acquisition of DreamWorks
was reported earlier this year, an open question was if and how the company would integrate with Illumination, which has provided a steady stream of hits for Universal Pictures like “Minions” and “The Secret Life of Pets.”

NBCUniversal’s outline of the new leadership structure, announced a day after the $3.8 billion acquisition closed, didn’t include Illumination Chief Executive Chris Meledandri. But the studio left the door open for his involvement down the road.

“Now that the deal has closed, we will be working with Chris to determine the most effective path forward for Illumination and DreamWorks Animation,” a Universal spokesman said.

The studio has some time in figuring out a final arrangement: Universal Pictures won’t not begin distributing DreamWorks movies until 2018, when an existing agreement with Twentieth Century Fox expires. DreamWorks has three releases planned before then, and movies in development at the company for release after 2018 are being evaluated by Universal.

The heads of DreamWorks’ biggest divisions will stay in place.

Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria, two veteran producers elevated to co-presidents of feature animation in 2015, will continue running the feature animation group and report to Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley.

DreamWorks’ head of animated television, Margie Cohn, will lead an integrated DreamWorks and Universal television animation business and report to Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Jeff Shell. DreamWorks’ growing television business was among the top draws of the company to Universal.

DreamWorks’ games, digital and consumer-products divisions will be absorbed into similar departments at NBCUniversal. Marketing and distribution operations will also be combined.

As previously announced, DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg will become chairman of DreamWorks New Media, which will oversee NBCUniversal stakes in online-video producer AwesomenessTV and the NOVA technology company. Ann Daly, a longtime deputy of Mr. Katzenburg’s who served as President at DreamWorks, will step down from the company.